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Questions & Answers about Le ciel est infini.
What is the overall structure of the sentence "Le ciel est infini"?
The sentence follows a simple subject–verb–predicate adjective structure. "Le ciel" is the subject, "est" is the verb (the third person singular form of "être"), and "infini" is the predicate adjective describing the subject. This order mirrors the typical English structure in "The sky is infinite."
Why is the adjective written as infini instead of infinie or another form?
In French, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. The noun ciel is masculine singular, so the adjective must be in its masculine singular form, which is infini. Using infinie (feminine) or infinis (plural) would be incorrect in this context.
What role does the definite article le play in this sentence?
The word le is the masculine singular definite article, equivalent to "the" in English. It indicates that the speaker is referring to a specific or generally understood concept of "the sky" rather than any sky in a generic sense.
How is the verb est conjugated, and why is it used here?
Est is the present tense, third person singular form of the verb être, meaning "to be." It is used here as a linking verb to connect the subject le ciel to the predicate adjective infini. This form is standard when making statements about the qualities or states of something.
Does the use of infini give the sentence a literal or poetic feel, and why?
Describing the sky as infini often carries a poetic or evocative connotation. While the sentence can be read literally as stating that the sky is infinite, the choice of the adjective infini adds a layer of imagery, suggesting vastness and boundlessness in a way that is frequently employed in poetic language.